# Recharging humidity devices



## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

I'm sure the basics have been posted before but I thought I'd re-share how I recharge my heartfelt beads and Boveda packs. 
I got frustrated years ago trying to recharge the beads with a spritzer or trying to gently dribble water on the beads so they wouldn't crack. Plus the few Boveda packs I had I wanted to reuse.

So, here's what I do. I've got a small airtight container that I put a smaller food storage container in upside down to act as a shelf. I fill the bottom of my airtight container with distilled water and place the Boveda pack or mesh sack holding the beads on the upside down container, which keeps it out of the water. After about 3 days (during warm weather) or a week (cooler weather) the beads/packs are recharged and ready to be reused.

So far I've been using the same beads and Boveda packs for over two years and they work just fine. I rotate the packs and beads as needed for recharging.

I'll also point out that the only packs and beads that have to be recharged are the ones in my wooden humidors. The cigars I store in my lock and lock containers hold steady year in and year out.


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

Good post !!!

I keep all my Used Boveda packs in a Mason jar with a water pillow.

My beads get seasoned passively by being stored on the top shelf
of my coolers.....I only actively season the KL, which is on the very bottom..


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

Thanks Al!

That's a good idea using the mason jars with a water pillow. I'll have to try that.

I knew the information was around here but with lots of newer Puffers thought it might help to summarize and get past the frustration I had starting out.


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## KaChong (Jan 1, 2012)

Interesting idea for recharging Boveda packs. My guess is that you're reaching a higher humidity level than the equilibrium point than the devices you're recharging in your apparatus. Perhaps you can recharge them faster with a more humid environment. I did some poking around and it looks like potassium nitrate dissolved in water has a very high equilibrium RH:

http://www.omega.com/temperature/z/pdf/z103.pdf

95%RH at room temperature which is far higher than you could hit with saturated sodium chloride. How far are you recharging your Boveda packs? Are they starting with solid crystals in them or are you topping them up just a bit?


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

Well, for myself I'm not in any big hurry so a few days to a week doesn't bother me.

I recharge the Boveda packs when my hygrometer starts to show lower readings and the packs are not as flexible as they once were. I consider them charged whe they are squishy again lol.


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## Tinman Tindall (Mar 15, 2012)

This will save me some time in the long run, thanks for the post Piperdown.


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

Bumping for newer puffers.


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

Bumping again for the late night folk.


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## MontyTheMooch (May 27, 2012)

Nice. I'll have to remember that now that! Thanks for bumping it.


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## hawesg (Jun 9, 2012)

This is good to confirm i always assumed it was possible but never really put much thought into it. I have a few packs kicking around it's nice to know that I can recharge them if need be


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## pittjitsu (Mar 30, 2012)

What are your thoughts on refilling a calibration pack made to check hygrometers? Can it be done?


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## Quine (Nov 9, 2011)

If the dried out packs get squishy again, then they really are recharging. Thanks for the tip. Will be very useful!


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

pittjitsu said:


> What are your thoughts on refilling a calibration pack made to check hygrometers? Can it be done?


That I haven't tried but it should work as well. The only pack I think would have to go to a warmer area to recharge would be the seasoning pack since it's at 84%.


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## burritosdaily (Jul 2, 2007)

good info.... I'll have to try that... I charged my beads based on the instructions that came with them and it seemed to work well but I've only done that once. I can see how repeated that process over and over could cause problems.


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

A simpler, yet as effective method is to just lay the media on a damp sponge and seal in tupperware for a few days.


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## Oldmso54 (Jul 31, 2010)

reminds me that I need to recharge my KL = been about 3 yrs so actually thinking of replacing instead of recharging???


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

Oldmso54 said:


> reminds me that I need to recharge my KL = been about 3 yrs so actually thinking of replacing instead of recharging???


Shawn, yeah it's cheap but why would you want to replace the KL if it's working good and doesn't have an off smell to it?
Although I don't have KL I've read most of the posts and from what I can tell it doesn't hurt to spritz the KL. The beads are a little different in that you can wash the salts off. That's what happened to me a couple of times which is why I ended up putting them in a sealed container with DW for passive absorption. Now I've had the beads for over 2 years and they're still working well.


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## TheRooster (Jul 18, 2012)

Ok, I've got a tube of 65% beads on their way, getting here on monday, and I've currently got a humi-care 70% jar sitting in my humidor. It's staying at a solid 70%, but I want to drop it to 65%, and I like the idea of the beads taking in humidity as well as releasing it... So my question is, could I theoretically charge my beads by just putting them in the humidor with the humi-care jar for a few days before removing the jar? 

My understanding is that the beads will soak up the humidity in an effort to reduce RH to 65%, so would this be a nice, gentle, method for charging the beads?

Bill


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

Should work. You just have to be patient and let it work. Check on it in a week and see how far the rH has dropped. 
If, after a couple of weeks it's not going down any further you may have to let the beads dry out a bit on their own for a day or so and then place them back in the humidor.


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

Bumping this and adding:
If the Boveda goes stiff, dry and crunchy it can take up to a month to recharge and will never work as well as it did before.

To make them last you either need to feel them and they should still be soft or start charging when the rH starts dropping.

With my wooden humis I simply rotate them from the charging chamber every 4 weeks. Still soft, still holding rH so I can continue to use them over and over.


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## demuths1770 (Jan 2, 2014)

This is good to know! I actually had a shop give me a Boveda pack when I bought afew cigars when I was out of state.


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## Cigar-Enthusiast (Feb 2, 2014)

Bump for those who need it.

Also great idea on using two containers. Currently I just recharge by placing Boveda packs in a Tupperware with 3 shot glasses full of DW.


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